Cal picks up key commitment from Los Angeles DT Ashton Sanders

Cal and Wisconsin have been the clear two top schools for Los Angeles-based defensive lineman Ashton Sanders. Still, he needed a little extra time to get everything lined up after taking an official visit to see Cal a couple weeks ago before he was ready to announce his college choice.

Sanders visited both schools during the month of June, but he held off on his announcement until Friday to allow his entire family to be around him when making his commitment.

The wait was worth it for the Bears as the Los Angeles-Cathedral defensive lineman announced his commitment to the Cal ending an important recruitment for the program.

Sanders is the fourth recruit to give Cal his pledge in the class, which has been heavy on the defensive side with all four commitments set to play for Peter Sirmon’s group.

Sanders is the second recruit to commit to Cal this week joining local cornerback prospect Sailasa Vadrawale, and he is the fourth prospect overall to pull the trigger on a pledge to the Bears in the 2023 class.

The 6-foot-3, 295-pound defensive lineman amassed an impressive offer list throughout his recruitment with schools such as Notre Dame, Washington, Utah, Colorado and Arizona State being among the programs that offered the Cathedral High School standout.

He previously took an unofficial visit to Cal earlier in the spring setting up his anticipated official visit this month. During his previous trip to Berkeley, Sanders came away impressed by what the staff is building making Cal a clear top contender in the process.

Sanders has family in the Antioch area giving him a connection to the Bay Area, and he felt comfortable on campus in Berkeley.

"I was able to fit in like I was there," he told Golden Bear Report after his recent official visit. "Another key thing, I have experiences with California people and the Bay is a lot more diverse than the Los Angeles area, so I would say I just feel more home -- a home feel."

Now with his commitment locked in, Sanders can begin thinking about the future with the Bears. The plan is already in place when he arrives on campus next summer, and there will be plenty of importance placed on the new Cal commit by Andrew Browning and the rest of the staff once he gets on the field.

"He also gave me new expectations, saying I wouldn't just be playing nose -- I'd be playing all over the D-line," Sanders said. "I was shocked because when he first started recruiting me he said he wants me at nose. But now he has opened the door to letting me be free to showcasing my talents and skills that he knows that I have."

Sanders has been a top priority for the Bears in the current recruiting cycle, and landing his commitment will help continue to build what has been a strong start to the 2023 class for Justin Wilcox and Co.

Cal is closing down the early official visit period with another impressive group of visitors and top targets. That includes defensive lineman Cameron Brandt and edge rusher Jaeden Moore, who are both recruits who Cal has built momentum with over the last several months and hopes to have end up playing alongside Sanders in the future.

Sanders finished his junior season at Cathedral with 36 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, four sacks and 16 quarterback hurries.

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